The Announcer Spring 2015

Front row: (left to right) Kathy Breunig, Janet Schneider, Regina Oldendorf, Julie Spoke, Dan Follendorf Second row: (left to right) Brenda Franklin, Chris Peaslee, Jill Reilly, Gwen Dado, Ellen Cary, Candie Lehto, Art Plaster, Mike Lewien, Tim Spoke, Herman Seebandt Third Row: (left to right) Penny Boyle, Eric Treml, Larry Lader, Bill Lien, Brian Buchholz, Matt Damm, Mark Ladsten, Greg Lincicum Missing: Michael Krull

Horicon FFA Alumni Making an Impact

IN THIS ISSUE

State Alumni Grant Supports Local Affiliate

2015 Convention Success Encourages Future Achievements

The purpose of a local affiliate is to help support the local FFA Chapter and its members, the local agriculture instructor and to support agriculture education. The newly reactivated Horicon FFA Alumni Affiliate saw a need within their local FFA Chapter and decided to take action. Learning about one of the grant programs offered by the Wisconsin FFA Alumni was the first step.

Page 9

Page 3

Washington Leadership Conference Scholarship Results Page 7

National Alumni Development Conference Page 10

We strive to be Wisconsin’s premier Agriculture Education advocate with FFA Alumni support in every community. We envision our diverse, positive, community committed organization to provide resources to support youth development and leadership.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

2015 Convention Success Encourages Future Achievements Page 3

The Teaching Connection Page 4

Janet Schneider 2015—2016 WISCONSIN FFA ALUMNI PRESIDENT

15-16 WI FFA Alumni Council Page 5

Affiliate Affairs Page 6

Has spring finally sprung? Affiliate memberships are coming in, FFA awards have been announced, banquet season has begun and Easter season is here…so it must be spring. Well I know the snow is mostly gone, calendar is telling me so and my mind is agreeing and yet Mother Nature has a knack to remind us who is really in control. So my boots will stand ready just in case.

Washington Leadership Conference Scholarship Results

I hope you have time to read this newsletter. It has a lot of good information for you and is still our best way to communicate with you, the members of the Wisconsin FFA Alumni.

AmazonSmile Opportunity

We have number of new council members this year; check out who is representing your section. I want to thank every council member for committing time to our state organization. Consider reaching out to them by inviting them to your events or meetings. February 6 and 7 we held our 35th annual convention in Stevens Point. Congratulations to this year’s committee for hosting a wonderful weekend chocked full of great information, interesting tours and comradery. Over 300 people attended. We also would be remiss if we did not send a huge thank you out to the entire State FFA Officer team for providing workshops and helping with our Friday and Saturday night auction. The theme for the convention was “Working as a team in 2015; advocating for agriculture education”. It is my sincere hope to use those words to guide the state council this next year. We all have unique reasons and experiences that have brought us to believe in the FFA and Agriculture Education. That is what makes the Alumni so special. We have a special story to share and we need to share it. I know I have met so many wonderful people through FFA Alumni events; I would not trade those experiences for anything. I would like to encourage everyone just to tell one new person about the Alumni, maybe after you get done reading this newsletter share it with someone who is not as aware as you about the great organization we have. If you have any questions never hesitate to ask. Call or email me I always enjoy a visit with fellow members. I want to wish everyone a safe planting season. I wish to close with THANK YOU! It is because of YOU that we can continue to provide young FFA members opportunities that will help them to be successful and be leaders of the future. Agriculture ... is our wisest pursuit, because it will in the end contribute most to real wealth, good morals & happiness. Thomas Jefferson

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Page 7

Page 8

Horicon FFA Alumni Making an Impact Page 9

National Alumni Development Conference Page 10

National FFA Alumni Membership Affiliation Program Page 11

The 35th Wisconsin FFA Alumni Convention was held the first weekend in February at the Holiday Inn & Convention Center. The convention was hosted by Sections 1, 2, 3 & 7 with a record high attendance of 302 attendees! The weekend was spent celebrating affiliate successes, networking and learning how to strengthen local affiliates and their members.

2015 Convention Success Encourages Future Achievements AFILIATE MEMBERSHIP AWARDS (Affiliates must have maintained 100% of last year’s membership) Bronze: (increase of 7-14 members) Augusta, Big Foot, Bonduel, Oakfield, Orfordville, and Platteville Silver: (increase of 15-24 members) Sparta Gold: (increase of 25+ members) Oconto Falls, Reedsville and River Falls EAGLE AWARD (Greatest annual percentage increase in total membership) Sparta FFA Alumni DR. V.O. MARTINSON AWARD (Greatest increase in annual membership) Reedsville FFA Alumni ANN MARTINSON MEMORIAL AWARD (Greatest increase in life membership) Oconto Falls FFA Alumni STATE LEVEL OUTSTANDING AFFILIATE AWARD Small Category: Blair (1st) Medium Category: Brodhead (1st) Large Category: Clinton(3rd), Denmark(2nd), Mishicot (1st) NATIONAL OUTSTANDING AFFILIATE AWARD Gold: Marshfield Overall Winner: Stoughton SCRAPBOOK AWARDS Bronze: Marshfield Silver: Denmark Overall Winners: Kiel(3rd), Sauk Prairie(2nd), Stoughton(1st)

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NEWSLETTER AWARDS Gold: Milton, Denmark, and Stoughton Overall Winner: Kiel WEBSITE AWARD Gold: Denmark and Kiel OUTSTANDIG ACHIEVEMENT AWARD Gold: David Hermans of the Denmark FFA Alumni AGRICULTURE TEACHER RECOGNITION Jerry Wendt - Stoughton School District Mary Handrich - Denmark School District Eric Follendorf - Sparta School District Tom Dobbs - Melrose-Mindoro School District Jeff Zobeck - Gresham School District Glenda Crook - Lodi School District Sandra Cordes - Manawa School District Troy Talford - Sauk Prairie School District EARLY BIRD DRAWING Horicon & Sauk Prairie

Thank you to our Platinum Level Convention Sponsor for helping to make this year’s convention a huge success!

The job of supporting agriculture education is often thought of as being directed towards students in grades 6—12. What we as alumni members sometimes over look is that agriculture education does not end at high school graduation.

The Teaching Connection WRITTEN BY: KIM HOUSER AND TROY TALFORD, WISCONSIN AGRICULTURE EDUCATION INSTRUCTORS AND WAAE MEMBERS

The following phrases are heard by the average agriculture teacher at least 949 times a month, “When are we EVER (insert rolling of eyes here) going to need this???” or “Will I EVER need this after high school???” Now that we have your attention, we thought we would take some time in this month’s newsletter to pose a series of new challenges for you as FFA Alumni members. A crucial part of an agriculture teacher’s job in high school is to prepare our students for the post-secondary level who would appreciate the help of FFA Alumni members too. So let’s SPRING into action and help our post-secondary educators.

Sponsor an award or scholarship to collegiate FFA Chapters, Agriculture Education Society, or PAS (PostSecondary Agricultural Students / found on Technical College Campuses)

Photograph or video tape operations of your farm or agribusiness site.

How great would it be for an

instructor to not only explain an operation but include examples found in the great state of Wisconsin.

Reflect on your interactions with post-secondary agriculture students and use those thoughts to write a letter of support to the Dean or President of a College.

Invite post-secondary classes to utilize your operations or agribusiness for a field trip site.

Hands-on

learning is challenging in a classroom setting, but to see dehorning, castrating, pruning, harvesting, or any other numerous agricultural activities brings student’s education to life.

Nighttime meeting host.

Many of our technical college instructors conduct meetings for students during the

evening hours and are always looking for area farmers to host them. This is a simple way to encourage networking within the agriculture community.

Give your time and / or talents at Career Development Events.

Contact any of the regional contest sites

and ask if they need help judging an event, assisting with the scoring, or even serve as a photographer. (Regional sites are located at: UW-River Falls, UW-Platteville, Fox Valley Technical College, and Janesville FFA Alumni) With your help, we as FFA Alumni members can have a positive difference in the lives of post-secondary agricultural education students as we do for the middle and high school students. As FFA Alumni, your job is to SPRING into action and use your talents to benefit a group of students who once sat in their high school seats asking their teachers: “When are we EVER going to need this???”

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COME CHECK US OUT THIS SUMMER

The Wisconsin FFA Alumni council is welcoming a large turnover of council members in the 2015—2016 year and the future looks bright.

2015—2016 Wisconsin FFA Alumni Council Executive Director: Regina Oldendorf Past President: Kathy Breunig President: Janet Schneider President Elect: Julie Spoke Vice President: Dan Follendorf Sectional Representatives: Section 1 Gwen Dado (Amery) Section 2 Chris Peaslee (New Richmond) Brenda Franklin (Glenwood City) Section 3 Bill Lien (Blair) Brian Buchholz (Brookwood) Section 4 Jill Reilly (Shullsburg) Penny Boyle (Darlington) Section 5 Greg Lincicum (Juda) Larry Lader (Clinton) Section 6 Matt Damm (Columbus) Mark Ladsten (Sauk Prairie) Section 7 Mike Lewien (Thorp) Herman Seebandt (Neillsville) Section 8 Candie Lehto (Oconto Falls) Arthur Plaster (Tigerton) Section 9 Ellen Cary (Elkhart Lake—Glenbeulah) Eric Treml (Denmark) Section 10 Michael Krull (Jefferson) Tim Spoke (Lake Mills)

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Dan Follendorf (pictured above) is the new 2015 – 2016 Wisconsin FFA Alumni Vice President who was elected at the 35th Wisconsin FFA Alumni Convention in Stevens Point this past February. He has served as a Section 3 Representative on the Wisconsin FFA Alumni Council for the past six years. Dan has served on many state committees within the Wisconsin FFA Alumni including the statewide convention committee, membership committee and marketing committee. He has also been involved with the local planning committees for the alumni conventions held in 2011 and 2015. Dan is a Sparta native and is a member of the Sparta FFA Alumni, currently serving as affiliate President. He has been involved in Sparta FFA Alumni activities long before wearing the blue jacket in high school. Growing up he was an active member in FFA and 4-H serving in many leadership roles in both organizations over the years. You can find Dan working on his family’s farm where they are currently raising eighty - five head of beef cows and managing 500 acres of crops. When Dan is not farming you will see him serving his community as a firefighter for Sparta Area Fire District and a active leader in the Cataract Sportsmen’s Club. “I had gained so much from being an FFA member in high school. I joined the FFA Alumni because I wanted to do something to give back. The experiences and knowledge I have gained was irreplaceable.” Dan is looking forward to getting to know more members across the state and continued involvement on the Wisconsin FFA Alumni Council.

State FFA Convention Career Show The Wisconsin FFA Alumni Council will have a booth at the career show on June 17.

Professional Development Conference Agriculture instructors make sure to sign up at the booth to win a prize!

Farm Technology Days We will be there with all our Team Ag Ed partners. Come check us out on August 25th —27th.

Affiliate Affairs WRITTEN BY: KATHY BREUNIG 2015—2016 PAST PRESIDENT Yes, Kewaskum is a beautiful rural area called the gateway to Kettle Moraine State Forest. Relaxation can be found here on the banks of the Milwaukee River as you sit and become fixated by the beautiful clear water. Hiking the twenty-five mile stretch of the Eisenbahn Trail, which is an old abandoned railroad bed that starts in West Bend and runs through the Village of Kewaskum and continues north ending in Eden. We understand why the fifty-one member Kewaskum FFA Alumni is so busy. President Jessica Buchbger tells us they have a State Fair Ice Cream Booth with the FFA students and Alumni working it together. It is always so wonderful to see the two entities working side by side so the adults get to know the students and vice versa. This is crucial when judging local scholarship awards. When you visit this gorgeous area, make it during the brat fry at Piggly

Wiggly in the Spring. It’s a one day event where the Kewaskum FFA Alumni fries up the brats right there and serves them to the public from 9:00 AM until 2:00 PM. Their fall event consists of the Annual Christmas Parade on the first Saturday of December where they again, do a brat fry and also sell hot chocolate to warm the fingers and tummies. Donkey Basketball at the local high school is another great event. This is done every other year so they will gear up again for this event in the Spring of 2016. On the odd years (or opposite Donkey Basketball) the Kewaskum FFA Alumni holds a cash raffle. Profits are used for scholarships for the agriculture education and FFA students. Every November they hold a Nuts and Bolts sale where the Alumni reaches out to local farms, businesses and individuals with an order book. Once

delivered their profits are put toward student scholarships. Their newest event will be purchasing a tractor to be restored in memory of two FFA students who died in a car accident. Both were 16 years old and FFA officers so a very emotional journey will ensue with this event. This Alumni has two members who served two terms as State Alumni Representatives—Wendy and Ricky Kreif. They are motorcycle lovers and have been seen at many state events over the years. Along with that came many state awards for Kewaskum at the State FFA Alumni Conventions and we can bet a “brat” that we will continue to see them winners in the future. So as you map out your summer weekend tours, put Kewaskum on the list for June’s Party on the Pavement event and enjoy the beautiful gateway to the Kettle Moraine State Forest in 2015.

Affiliate Bulletin Board An “aFFAir” to Remember The Kiel FFA Alumni will be hosting an elegant beer, wine and cheese tasting experience on November 14, 2015 from 4:00 PM—11:30 PM at The Osthoff Resort in Elkhart Lake. There will be a live/silent auction and music all evening. Your registration will cover your meal and tasting experience. Please register in advance by clicking on the EVENTS tab at www.kielaged.net/alumni.html

If you have any upcoming local affiliate events that you would like to let FFA Alumni members from around the state know about, please email your event information or flier to the email address below. We will also place your information on www.WisconsinFFAAlumni.org [email protected]

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2015 Washington Leadership Scholarship Results WRITTEN BY: REGINA OLDENDORF, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR The Wisconsin FFA Alumni Association is pleased to announce that twenty-one Washington Leadership Conference scholarships were awarded to Wisconsin FFA members this year! We were able to provide each recipient with a $455.00 scholarship! The vast majority of the dollars given to the this year’s recipients was derived from the Association’s investments, via our organization’s investment distribution policy. Each year Wisconsin FFA Alumni Association awards Washington Leadership Conference scholarships to FFA members from around the state. Based on the available funds in the Wisconsin FFA Alumni budget and proceeds raised from the National FFA Alumni auction and our state’s submitted memberships. There is always the desire to help FFA members grow and further develop leadership skills. An FFA member is eligible to receive a scholarship based on a variety of criteria. Most important criteria is that the FFA member’s local FFA Alumni Affiliate has an active membership status from the previous membership year and an active membership status. Without the help of the local FFA Alumni affiliate the student is unable to apply for a scholarship.

Congratulations to the following recipients FFA Member

FFA Chapter

Meikah Dado Tyler Franklin Paige Nelson Jeanna Rupnow Brianna Marcue Katlynn Templeton Patrick O’Leary Marissa Ripp Rachel Damm Emily Matzke Sam Peetz Abigail Henken Chelsea Stuttgen Andrew Seefeldt Cassy Bonnin Jacob Timm Claire Hrubecky Reggie Stinson Faith Carpenter Emily Kruse Heather Griesmer

Amery Baldwin-Woodville Ellsworth Black Hawk Lancaster Platteville Milton Waunakee Columbus Sauk Prairie Sauk Prairie Waupun Colby Spencer Bonduel Gillett Mishicot Mishicot Big Foot Elkhorn Hartford

3rd Annual Alumni Seminar to be Held June 16th and 17th WRITTEN BY: REGINA OLDENDORF, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR The Wisconsin FFA Alumni Association with the help of the Wisconsin FFA Foundation will be hosting the 3rd Annual Alumni Seminar in conjunction with the Wisconsin FFA Convention this June in Madison. The Alumni Seminar is a series of workshops presented over a two day period at the Aliant Energy Center during the Wisconsin FFA Convention. The workshops this year are geared towards the FFA members, parents, and instructors already present at convention. The topics will revolve around benefits of the Alumni, supporting students, and community development through Alumni efforts. Make sure to stop in and partake in the Alumni Seminar. Tuesday, June 16th

Wednesday, June 17th

2:00-2:45 PM

Um Yeah! It’s All About US

10:00-10:45 AM

Um Yeah! It’s All About US

4:00-4:45 PM

Career Development Building Blocks

2:00-2:45 PM

Career Development Building Blocks

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AmazonSmile Alumni Donation Opportunity WRITTEN BY: REGINA OLDENDORF, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Donating to the Wisconsin FFA Alumni Association just became incredibly easy! You do not even need to think about it and you will be passively sending donations our way. The Wisconsin FFA Alumni Association just signed up with AmazonSmile. What is Amazon Smile? AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to support the Wisconsin FFA Alumni Association every time you shop, at no cost to you. When you shop at smile.amazon.com, you’ll find the exact same low prices, vast selection and convenient shopping experience as Amazon.com with the added bonus that Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase price to your favorite charitable organization. How do I shop at Amazon Smile? To shop at AmazonSmile simply go to smile.amazon.com from the web browser on your computer or mobile device. You may also want to add a bookmark to smile.amazon.com to make it even easier to return and start your shopping at AmazonSmile. Which products on AmazonSmile are eligible for charitable donations? Tens of millions of products on AmazonSmile are eligible for donations. You will see eligible products marked “Eligible for AmazonSmile donation” on their product detail pages.

Recurring Subscribe-and-Save purchases and subscription renewals are not currently eligible. Can I use my existing Amazon.com account on AmazonSmile? Yes, you use the same account on Amazon.com and AmazonSmile. Your shopping cart, Wish List, wedding or baby registry, and other account settings are also the same. How do I select the Wisconsin FFA Alumni Association when shopping on Amazon Smile? On your first visit to AmazonSmile (smile.amazon.com), you need to select the Wisconsin FFA Alumni Association to receive donations from eligible purchases before you begin shopping. Amazon will remember your selection, and then every eligible purchase you make at smile.amazon.com will result in a donation. How much of my purchase does Amazon donate? The AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the purchase price from your eligible AmazonSmile purchase. The purchase price is the amount paid for the item minus any rebates and excluding shipping and handling, giftwrapping fees, taxes, or service charges. From time to time, Amazon may offer special, limited time promotions that increase the donation amount on one or more products or services or provide for additional donations.

Importance of Data Collection WRITTEN BY: REGINA OLDENDORF, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Wouldn’t it be amazing to know how many individuals across the nation volunteer their time for the efforts of the local FFA Alumni Affiliate? Can you imagine the impact of knowing the total number of volunteer hours given to support the local agriculture education programs nationally? How interesting would it be to discover the total amount of funds raised locally by the Affiliates? What a POWERFUL set of data that would be to have! for The National FFA Alumni has asked that all affiliates across the nation participate in a data collection process. They have created a location on AgCN located in the Affiliate Profile Section for each local administrator to record their affiliate’s information for each of their activities through out the year. Please help the National FFA Alumni obtain the data that they desire. All the data collected from individual affiliates will be kept confidential and only used to help provide a grand total in each of the following three areas: 1.

Total number of volunteers / activity

2.

Total number of volunteer hours / activity

3.

Total funds generated / activity

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The Horicon FFA Alumni was the first recipient of the New/Reactivated FFA Alumni Affiliate Grant Program this past year.

Horicon FFA Alumni Making an Impact WRITTEN BY: REGINA OLDENDORF, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

This past membership year was an exciting year for the Horicon FFA Alumni Affiliate. It was the year that a group of FFA and agriculture education supporters decided to make their local efforts, desires and motivations official. On August 11, 2013 a group gathered and officially reactivated the Horicon FFA Alumni Affiliate. The crew of two lifetime, two collegiate and twenty annual members were the first registered members since 1995! The efforts in starting a new affiliate from scratch or reactivating an existing affiliate is no easy task. Submitting membership and submitting the appropriate paperwork are just the preliminary steps in creating an organization that successfully supports agriculture education, the agriculture instructor, and the local FFA members. The Wisconsin FFA Alumni Association understands the challenges and desires to provide assistance to the affiliates in these situations. The Horicon FFA Alumni had the immediate goal to provide funds for the chapter officer training program. This past April the affiliate applied and received the first awarded New/ Reactivated Affiliate Grant. The $550.00 grant made it possible for the affiliate to help provide the FFA chapter officers with the opportunity to become stronger leaders in their chapter and community. The local officers were able to create working relationships that will strengthen the chapter and the FFA program in Horicon for years to come.

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The opportunity to have the officers bond as a team created an unexpected and welcomed result. The group has become quite self-sufficient. This is allowing the advisor to be just that...an advisor and not the doer. The Horicon FFA Alumni had the second immediate goal of providing support for proper official dress. The expense of official dress jackets can sometimes come as a burden the FFA member and their families. The affiliate members with the help of The New/Reactivated FFA Alumni Grant were able to provide jackets to FFA members that are committed to the local FFA chapter. The Wisconsin FFA Alumni Association is in existence to provide assistance to the local FFA Alumni Affiliates. We do this in a variety of ways. We know that each FFA Alumni affiliate, community, school district, agriculture education program, and FFA chapter are set up differently with a variety of different needs. There is no one-size-fits-all way to help the affiliates. This is why the Wisconsin FFA Alumni Council, provides scholarships, grants, educational opportunities, leadership opportunities, travel opportunities, financial support for specific activities, and an abundance of online resources to help strengthen the local affiliate. The council is also comprised of two representatives from each of the ten sections who have the job of helping the local affiliates when needed. Please make sure to check out the recourses available to you at www.WisconsinFFAAlumni.org

National Alumni Development Conference WRITTEN BY: REGINA OLDENDORF, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR It is time to mark your calendars for this year’s National FFA

Alumni

Development

Conference!

This

(Proposed) Workshops Available to Participants

year’s

conference will be held July 8th —11th in Raleigh/Durham,

Business Operation for Alumni

North Carolina. The North Carolina FFA Alumni Association

Alumni Investing

and the National FFA Alumni Association have been working

Local Program Success Guide Training

together for the past year to make sure to make the event

Manage My FFA (Roster Management)

is a success! The 2015 ADC will challenge you to engage

Record Keeping

your local community, administrators, business leaders and

State Leaders Round Table

everyone you meet. The workshops will lead you through

FFA Alumni Member Development

the growth and leadership continuum and help you to find,

FFA.org/MyJourney

develop and use your voice in advocating for agricultural

Membership Engagement (Panel)

education and FFA.

6 Hat Training Leadership Training

This year’s registration is at a RECORD LOW cost to the alumni member! Please make sure to take advantage of the “Early Bird Special” of only $200 from April 6th—May 15th. Registration officially closes June 26th.

Advocacy for Agriculture Education FFA Branding Social Media Importance Importance of Data Collection (Panel) Agricultural Education/FFA Program Development The Importance of Volunteerism What are OUR Roles?

You will not want to miss this educational, informative,

What does my Agricultural Educator NEED?

entertaining and fun event.

Building the Alumni/Foundation Relationship (Panel)

Please watch the FFA Alumni

website for details:

Student Development SAE Based Awards Program Living to Serve Programs/Grant Opportunities

www.ffa.org/support/alumni/events

Career Development Events (CDE’s) Agriscience Fair/National Chapter

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National FFA Alumni Membership Affiliation Program Your affiliate has probably heard that the National FFA Alumni is offering a new membership program. some are frustrated and have questioned why the Wisconsin FFA Alumni has not adopted this program.

We understand We hope the

information below will help explain why and clarify for you our reasons. How does the National Affiliation Program work if Wisconsin adopts it?



If a local FFA Alumni affiliate has 0—24 lifetime members the National FFA Alumni will assess a fee of $100 to the local affiliate



If a local FFA Alumni affiliate has 25+ lifetime members the National FFA Alumni will waive the Affiliation Program fee



Regardless of how many lifetime members an affiliate has the Affiliate will be able to sign up and UNLIMITED number of annual volunteers/members without having to pay national annual dues if in the program



Your affiliate will be able to opt in or out of the National Affiliation Program a minimum of one month prior to the start of any given membership year



New lifetime members will still need to pay $310 ($160 national lifetime dues and $150 state lifetime dues)



Those who are eligible for being an associate member can still have the FREE associate member status



National membership benefits will continue to be the same for each type of membership



Annual dues at the state level will continue to be $10 for each member

Reasons to wait to adopt the new membership program



The Wisconsin FFA Alumni Council became aware of the new program in mid July of 2014. With the current 2014-2015 membership year starting September 1st, there was an inadequate amount of time to research how this would affect our ability to meet our budget and how it would impact our programs.



We could not accept the new program without being in direct conflict with our bylaws. To accept the new National Affiliation Membership Program it would require a bylaws change. This type of vote would take place at our annual meeting held at the Wisconsin FFA Alumni Convention in February.



There has been no decision by the National FFA Alumni on how they will deal with the state’s national delegate count, which historically has been based on membership. Wisconsin has a long-standing pride when it comes to the national meeting by sending a full or almost full delegation to vote.



The financial impact to our state could be tremendous just in the time our executive director would have to spend dealing with membership submissions. At this time the National FFA Alumni does not have the ability to track both state and national memberships if Wisconsin offers our affiliates the option to participate in the program and we keep our current dues structure.



25% of our affiliates (smaller) would be adversely affected by the implementation of this program

Your Wisconsin FFA Alumni Council members take this topic very seriously and we hope you can understand that we do not want to act rashly. We have a strong commitment to our membership and want to be sure to act responsibly and correctly by our current bylaws. Please feel free to contact the state office at [email protected] with your comments/ questions about the National Affiliation Program.

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Wisconsin FFA Alumni Association, Inc.

NONPROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE

N29452 Brekke Ridge Road

PAID

Blair, Wisconsin 54616

PERMIT NO. 1557

“Advocating for Agriculture Education”

EAU CLAIRE, WI

Dates to Remember ~ Do not forget to mark your calendars for the following upcoming events! ~ May

June

July

August

1

Alumni Membership Deadline (award eligibility & national delegate seat number)

15

End of ADC “Early Bird Registration”

15-18

State FFA Convention, Madison

16-17

3rd Annual Alumni Seminar, Madison

17

Wisconsin FFA Alumni Association Booth at FFA Career Show, Madison

21-25

WAAE’s Professional Development Conference, Middleton

29

End of ADC Registration

1

Postmark Deadline for National FFA Alumni Award Applications to Nationals

8-11

Alumni Development Conference, Raleigh, North Carolina

17

Wisconsin FFA Alumni Newsletter Article Deadline

31-Aug. 2

Wisconsin FFA Alumni Council Retreat, Warrens

25-27

Farm Technology Days, Sun Prairie (Wisconsin FFA Alumni will have a booth with Team Ag Ed)

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